Initial thoughts and some notes from Bears-49ers

Here are a couple initial thoughts from Thursday night's 37-30 loss for the Bears to San Francisco at Soldier Field:

*** The offensive line did a much better job but this wasn't the Seattle front the Bears were facing. A San Francisco defense that had been blitzing a good amount and sacked Green Bay quarterbacks six times last week suddenly stopped coming after the passer. Still, it was a better effort.

*** That put Kyle Orton in position to succeed and he did just that. Orton was 10-for-17 and there were at least two drops in there. Wide receiver Rashied Davis acknowledged he should have had his hands on a third touchdown catch, that the hot pass was off his hands because he pulled up short on his route.

*** Guard Terrence Metcalf is scheduled to return to practice Monday, less than three weeks after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee.

"I'm praying they allow me to," Metcalf said when asked if he expects to play in the preseason finale Thursday at Cleveland. "I've already been doing [simulated snaps] and stuff like that."

Josh Beekman has played in Metcalf's place and is in the picture for the job now as well.

*** Defensive end Mark Anderson sat out following surgery to have one pin inserted into his right thumb. He figures he'll be best off resting through the Cleveland game to be ready for the start of the season.

*** Rookie running back Matt Forte looked better, too, churning out 44 yards on 11 carries. The 1-2 combination the Bears thought about when they signed Kevin Jones could be coming together. He passed the latest hurdle by getting through the game. Jones was only in for six snaps but he had a 34-yard run on his first play. That's a debut that will warrant attention.

*** Looks like special teams coordinator Dave Toub can will great plays out of anyone now. The return game has been dynamic with Devin Hester not doing a whole lot. The Bears have blocked three punts in two weeks and Israel Idonije, who blocked three kicks last season, got one.

*** Speaking of special teams, long snapper Pat Mannelly, who was sidelined with a neck stinger, said he is not sure if he will play at Cleveland. The plan is for him to definitely be back for the opener at Indianapolis.

*** The most striking thing about the defensive effort by the first team, you know besides the missed tackles, was what looked to be a completely listless effort. You can bet the defensive players will be in some l-o-n-g-g-g-g-g-g meetings today.

*** Any worthwhile explanation yet for why Rashied Davis didn't get on the field more last season? Any idea who is going to replace him on special teams if he wins a starting job as a receiver? Davis played a pretty crucial role on teams during the second half of last season.

*** Defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek sure returned with a vengeance. He was a force near the goalline and it can't be overstated how much energy he brings to the huddle.

*** Were the Bears just working Kevin Payne in with the first team at strong safety to get him some experience with the ones, or is there suddenly a competition brewing with Brandon McGowan?

*** Jamar Williams looked comfortable in reserve at middle linebacker. He was one defender who made some plays, racking up seven tackles.

*** Through three preseason games, the Bears' average time of possession is an even 25 minutes. That's not getting off the bus running. It's also not stopping the opponent from running.

*** This is their first 0-3 start since they went 0-4 in the 1998 preseason.

*** The stop of the night? Security personnel prevented Jesse Jackson and his entourage from entering the locker room prior to the game. As Sun-Times teammate Joe Cowley pointed out not long ago on the White Sox beat, Jackson was also rebuffed recently trying to enter the White Sox clubhouse.

*** Look for roster cuts to come soon, perhaps over the weekend. The Bears need to release five players to get down to 75 by 3 p.m. Tuesday. Wide receiver Ryan Grice-Mullen hasn't played in the last two games and could be a candidate. Same goes for cornerback Leslie Majors. New long snapper Thomas Gafford is only needed until Mannelly is healthy.

*** Lovie Smith meets the press this afternoon at 3:45 and I am sure much of the focus will be on the defense and the effort, or lack of effort. We'll try to check in before then with some more notes.

A mailbag Q&A will be coming on Wednesday, so start firing in some questions. We'll do the best we can to get as many answered as possible.

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Kyle Orton had a heck of a games last night, I hope he continues to develope into a good QB for the Bears. Last night it was Davis, the games vs the Seahawks it was Lloyd, as far as the receiver Orton went to on a regular basis. This shows me one thing about Orton, he has great field vision, he will find a receiver with weak coverage, and make a defense pay. Also, Orton seems to be getting a grasp of Turners offense, and more comfortable running it. I liked what I saw from Matt Forte, he seems to be getting better. It was nice to see Kevin Jones play, he showed the ability to break one, he should be a nice complement for Forte. Davis looks like he might be in the starting lineup before to long at receiver. The only thing that worried me last night was the poor tackling by the defense, they need to work on that. Oh ya, how about that offensive line? They looked good last night, and might be coming along. I say keep Josh Beekman in the starting lineup when Metcalf comes back, I think Beekman can be more durable, and is younger. GO BEARS!!

Here are my observations from the game (first time I got to watch an entire game in Wisconsin):

**It makes a huge difference when the QB is actually helping call out the protections at the line to help Olin, who is in a three point stance and not able to see the entire field. Especially when playing a 3-4 team, where there is a gigantic mass directly in front of him that can obscure his view.

**Orton seems to be right on as far as his knowledge of the playbook. He went through his progressions very quickly, and the ball comes out even quicker when he finds his receiver

**I think Troy Aikman nailed it right on the head when he talked about Grossman. He didn't like losing the job, and his confidence is pretty well shot right now. Not that he should have had a lot of it, but anytime a professional athlete stops believing in his ability, he also stops developing and getting better.

**The running game is still a little suspect, but a few more passing outings like that from Orton, and the defense will back off the line a lot more.

**Whatever is wrong with the defense, they had better fix it. You could drive Miss Daisy through the holes our front seven was allowing. It shows how critically important it is for us to have dynamic players at DT, healthy and disruptive. Dvoracek, Toeaina, Harris, Harrison, Idonije look like they should be the group. Adams is solid, but he is getting pushed around at the point of attack in the running game.

**And will someone tell me what is up with Briggs? Did he get soft with his new contract? he is getting caught up in the wash all too often instead of knifing through to the ball.

**I really do not think we need Booker on this team. I like the veteran presence, but the way Rashied Davis is playing, he gives us all the possession guy we need. Lloyd, Bradley, Hester, Davis, and Bennett can all play special teams, so they bring more to the roster. Plus I think it will be nice for Orton to develop chemistry with guys who have the potential to be here for more than a year.

**Robbie Gould keeps getting stronger on his kickoffs, and it is really giving us a significant edge on special teams. With our coverage units, we are going to be exciting in the 3rd phase.

**Speaking of the third phase, Manning, Hester, and Bennett have all shown the ability to be effective in the return game (serious understatement on Hester). Teams will either give us great field position by kicking away from us, or we will take it with strong returns.

Encouraging in some areas (offense, QB play, OL), but highly concerning in others (defensive line, run defense, linebacker play). Rod Wilson is a loss, but hopefully Okwo and Roach can fill in for him.

Lets see him perform like that in Indy and at Carolina. SF didn't really blitz and their defense wasn't all that good to begin with. Yes Rex looked horrible but he has had better games than what Orton had in the regular season and playoffs. I just want the Bears to win and lets not get all hung up on what happens in the preseason.

Hey Brad - What are the rules for Practice Squad players? If Caleb Hanie winds up on the practice squad, could some other team swoop in and sign him to their active roster - in effect, stealing him from the Bears? Or would the Bears have some kind of recourse to make sure they keep him? Cliff - Clinton, Indiana

Orton did good -- for Orton. He's a mid-level starter, but a strong NFL back up QB.
And that will ALWAYS be his talent level.
Still unelusive on broken protection, Orton is still a little nervous in the pocket--
just watch his feet while he does his check down.
And, don't forget, they were playing the 49ERS.
How will he do against the Colts or Tampa?
The Bears will lose nothing by giving Caleb Hanie more playing time. In fact, I would switch Grossman and Hanie on the depth chart. Rex should finally be on his way out.
Just think about the last play of the game. Neither Orton or Grossman completes that pass: Grossman gets sacked, and Orton would have thrown an inaccurate ball. And with the O-line the Bears have, Hanie is the only one with any speed if he has to run.
Oh, and it looks like Jones is in and Wolfe is out.

So let's look at why teams blitz Rex like crazy and don't blitz Orton. Could it be that they know the way to beat Rex is to get in his face quickly so he doesn't have time to get in a groove and throw downfield? Maybe they play back on Orton because they still think it is 2005, and he doesn't have a downfield arm. That will quickly change when they start watching film, and I think Kyle's field vision will help him when they start coming. He has what it takes to be a solid QB, and looks like he is ready to take that step. The book on Orton is not well written at this point, which helps us. Everyone has seen what Rex can do, and what he can't do. No mystery there, and there is a gameplan that teams have filed on how to play Grossman.

But the Niners blitzed the crap out of Aaron Rodgers last week, and then came after Rex in his limited stint last night. The book on him is pressure, pressure, pressure. Ron Rivera and Tank Johnson are apparently not the only ones who think he is soft. This is a copycat league, and teams have figured out they can have success shutting down Grossman by bringing extra guys. The run becomes irrelevent, and he won't hit a hot receiver when he is scared.

Rex has talent, but it is never going to be realized in Chicago. They need to let him go somewhere else. maybe they can trade Chris Simms for Grossman so Gruden will have a pet project for a few more years. The kid may have a chance to rebuild his confidence, but it won't be playing for us. Give the kid a chance while he is young to rebuild his career somewhere else.

BRAD SAYS: Yes, any player on a practice squad can be signed away by another team to its 53-man roster. It happened with J.T. O'Sullivan when he was with the Bears the first time in 2005. He was on the practice squad for the first half of the season before Minnesota signed him away. The Bears snatched linebacker Nick Roach from San Diego's practice squad last season and defensive tackle Matt Toeaina from Cincinnati's practice squad last season.

However, teams can do things to keep their practice squad players. For starters, they can offer them more money. Defensive tackle Antonio Garay began last season on the practice squad but was being paid nearly the minimum salary for a regular player. If a team comes to sign one of your players away, you can always sign him to your own 53-man roster.

With that out of the way, aren't we getting a little ahead of ourselves? I know a campaign to Start Caleb was begun across town, but are we sure he's the next Tony Romo?

The Bears are looking like a yo-yo team so far: offense good- defense bad, defense good- offense bad. Getting both units ready to come out playing hard seems to be beyond the coaching staff. The bright spots are the special teams. They come out eager and nasty. Who fires them up? Let's use whoever it is for the O and D as well.

Are there any well-known defensive coaches that are currently unemployed? What the Bears need is a defensive scheme that works and that the players can believe in. The "Don't run too hard you might get tired" defense they are playing now just doesn't cut it.

One thing is for sure, Rex needs to go. I was at the game last night and am usually one of the first people to start the booing, you know the second he walks out from the tunnel. But i actually started to feel bad for the guy last night, then i remembered it was Rex and hes brought it all on himself and kept booing. If he gets on the field in a meaningful game it will not be good. We've killed the guys confidence and self esteem, he's a bad fit even as the backup. He really shouldnt get on the field in a Bears uniform anymore. The man needs a change of scenary/team/city. It's Orton Time Baby! GO BEARS!

If you boo your team you'll be booing Orton too before long you Packer fan. Orton had protection because the line played better? Give me a break! SF ran a vanilla D with no blitzes just like the Bears ran at O'Sullivan. There was a back room deal cut for the tiime the "starters" were in there so the coaches would look good and they would get some confidence. Kyle's going to get clobbered and have that same fearful look Rex has had for 2 years until they FIX THE LINE!! Do you hear me Jerry? It is not 1 position, it is 7 positions. You can't draft one injured guy and fix it. It's time to run Kreutz's undersized overhyped self out of town. Send Tait back to KC too. The best starter on that line right now is Garza, a guy who wouldn't make most teams' rosters. It starts in the trenches. Take a lesson from Parcells.

It sounds like you are bragging about being a part of killing a guy's confidence. The guy has been beat down by the media, other players, and other coaches and has been a class act throughout. Maybe you should lay off a bit. Remember who will be lined up out there if Orton gets hurt. A guy whose confidence has been shattered, in part, by you. In essence, you have been a part in this team not succeeding. Thanks a lot. Just for the record, I agree that he needs a change of scenery to possibly succeed in the NFL, but booing the second string QB does no good. Back off a bit. The guys been through enough. Boo Lovie. Boo Pep Hamilton. Boo Jerry Angelo. They are the ones at fault here. For either picking a QB that is not equipped for the NFL both physically or mentally, not developing him effectively. But don't boo the guy who's worked his butt off while he's been here and is obviously on his way out the door anyway.

Dave,
I agree with you on Grossman handling himself well, but I have to wonder about the "worked his butt off" part. A player who works his butt off gets better, and eliminates repetitive mistakes. Grossman was still making the poor reads and ill-advised throws that he made 2 years ago. Someone who works hard in practice and doesn't improve to me defines insanity...repeating the same actions over and over hoping to acheive a different result.

And I do also think Rex has brought the booing on himself. What does he expect fans of the team to do when he has such stellar moments as telling the entire assembled media that he didn't prepare for the Packers game on New Years Eve a couple of years ago? Or repeatedly in 2006 telling everyone he couldn't figure out what he was doing wrong? It is the culmination of 6 years of waiting on this guy to get it, only to find out in the end that he didn't even understand what we wanted him to "get"

It's easy to protect a QB when the other teams Defense is as bad as the 9ERS. They have no pass rushers on that team, after the KC game everyone talked about how good the line looked. They looked good because they were playing a really bad defense. Same as last night and same as last year, the Bears can score on teams with really bad defenses, look at the 9ERS front four who there can put pressure on the QB. The answer is nobody. We have not seen Orton pressured yet, but we will and he will fold cause that line can't stop a good defense. Orton had all night last night to throw the Ball which makes it easy to complete passes. As for the defense, same story as always if the other team has a good Oline and a good running back you can run all night on the Bears D. We saw it last year and the year before. Everyone seems to think this is a win, it's not it's a loss, they lost again and looked bad doing it. This was a 5 win team last year. Teams are gonna get game footage on Orton and once they do it's over for him. Orton will finish this season with a passer rating of 73 and 2400-2500 yards if he plays every game. I thought he looked good to last night but then I have to look at who he was playing just like I did with KC when everyone else was all worked up about how good the offense looked against KC. Kyle has not faced a pass rush yet this year. How to you beat the Bears? Pressure the QB stop the run and run against the defense. 9ERS rushed 4 all night at Orton and that front 4 totaled all of 8 sacks last year on a team that had 26.5 sacks total. That is a really bad defense thats why Orton looked good. Of the Bears first 5 games they will only win 1 against the Panthers. How many times have I seen a QB look good against a bad team in this town and all the fans scream it's him or savior, Orton will guide us to the promis land. What was Rex's QB rating the first 6 games of 06, they were through the roof so what happened. What happend to all the QB's who had a couple of good games for the Bears but disappeared. Same thing that will happen to Orton.

Well said, Dave. It's gotten to the point now that Grossman is getting booed even when he does the right thing by throwing the ball away. Is booing him for everything the "in" thing now? Geez!

That said, however, it doesn't excuse his poor performance, as he did play terribly. There is not a single player in the NFL that needs a change of scenery more than Rex, as there is no way that he will ever be able to succeed in this city again. A mutual parting of ways between Rex and the Bears would be in the best interests of both parties at this moment.

Who knows whether Hanie will eventually be a long-term answer - he needs a couple of years of grooming (and the thought of this current Bears staff doing this with its history of grooming QBs is frightening). Everyone needs to remember that we've annointed such quarterbacks as Ken Mastrole as saviors in the preseason before treating Hanie as such.

Let's not overlook the Matte Forte vs. Kevin Jones match up. It is clear Jones knows how to lower his shoulder and punish wannabe tacklers. Matte Forte waits to be hit, then goes down without dishing it out. Kevin Jones could be the sleeper who puts the pop in our offense this year.

Otherwise, on the plus side Orton and special teams looked very good. The D looks like a replay of last year -- full of holes and missed tackles.

The Good: - Our starting QB looked just like that, a startng QB
- Our special teams are so *%$#%$#% sick. They alone will give us the edge to win some games this season.
- Kevin Jones has shown more on his first run than Forte has shown all season. I say we got with the former Lion come Sept. 7.
- We have 2 distinguished starters at WR.
- Hopefully bloggers like Sahrish and Dhalillama will stop posting things like, "Only Rex can ignite this offense" or "Kyle is boring."
-Hanie now has at least a TD every game.
- Perhaps Sir William R. Donald III will realize how very, very, very, very wrong he was on Rashied Davis and thus formally acknowledge how great my knowledge and insight on players truly is.

The Bad: - Our highly prized, highly paid and overall healthy defense looked like the 2007 squad.
- O' Sullivan looks like the real deal at QB. Still, it was against a bad defense (see above.)
-Anyone else find that with the exception of Alex Brown, Rashied Davis and Kyle Orton, none of our "core" players have really lived up to their contract exten$ion$? Robotic Robbie has missed two crucial FGs and got penalized twice for kicking out of bounds. Briggs plays like Lovie coaches (i.e. Just got out of bed) Yeah, it's only preseason. Hopefully things will get sorted out.
- We have a real coach on this team. Unfortunately he's limited to special teams.
- Bob Babich --> S.F. comes out with 7 guys blocking on the line. Boob, I mean Bob, continues to use 4-3 against them. Hey, maybe if he crossed his fingers real tight, it would have stopped them on the next play.
-Bradley may not be a Bear for long. Is he still injured? He looked slow and unaware. He should have caught that Gross-bomb.
- Speaking of Grossman, the poor guy has finally lost it.
- S. Teamer Rod Wilson will go on IR.

I see your point. I guess I'm just ticked off because everyone at that game was booing Rex, when they should have been booing the defense that couldn't shed a block, make a tackle, or cover receivers. Rex has already been benched. Give it break already homer fans that apparently don't get it.

Thought game went well last night on offense, Orton shows that he has learned to scan the field when given time and make progressions through his reads to make the correct throw, run game also was better and should improve if Jones knee holds up...Defense is not getting the job done, not playing with passion, and resting on past laurels...this kind of attutude will get you beat, high powered offenses coming up the next two weeks in Cleveland and opening day at Indy...time for a good-old fashioned rip session in the meetings for the defense this week. This type of play is not acceptible....Some progress made last night but much more needed to get to the goal of the playoffs....
As an aside, the booing of Rex is bad, but I also think its time to give him a new home, maybe a straight up trade with Buffalo for Losman might work for both teams trading high draft picks that did not work out to get something in return and a fresh start for both players.

Wilshire Blv, Los Angeles, I don't see Kevin Jones starting over Matt Forte. Forte gains yards between the tackles, and can break one for big yardage. Yeah, there's no question Jones can break a big one, as demonstrated last night, but Jones is not the type of runner to gain yards between the tackles either, as demonstrated last night, 3 carries for 33 yards and a long of 34 yards, you do the math. Kevin Jones is most effective on sweeps. And the type of runner the Bears need, is one who can gain yards between the tackles. Also, Jones has major durability problems, and like I said, the Bears would be asking Jones to run between the tackles as their starter, and I can't see Jones holding up for a full season doing so, as demonstrated in Detroit. Kevin Jones would be better utilized as a complementary back to Matt Forte, this years rookie of the year GO BEARS!!

I for one have been a supporter of Rex over Orton. I have to say however that Orton looked great last night. As far as getting rid of Grossman, are some of you crazy? Then the only backup to Orton would be a rookie Caleb Hanie although he has looked good he is not ready to be a starter in the NFL yet?

Grossman is one hell of a back up QB right now and if Orton gets hurt Grossman could fill the bill at QB. He needs to get some MOJO back is all, give the guy a break. Bears fans have been brutal on this guy despite the fact the games he has played he has been running for his life.

To boo Grossman is pure stupidity and lascks any type of class as far as I am concerned. these booing fans will probably cheer for Rex if he comes in for an injured Orton and wins some games.

I think the reason why a team wont blitz Orton as much as Grossman is because TEAMS know Orton can beat the Blitz and make the underneith throw. Orton will change the defensive game plan. With Grossman you can blitz him and he will give the ball up. Orton Blitz him and he will move around and find a 2-5 yard dump (insted of a INT.)I dont see much 300+ yard seasons out of Orton but I do see smart play out of Orton. Jags found out in a good way that their 2nd QB was beter then their #1 draft pick. I think the Bears are right on track having Orton the starting QB.

I remember Kyle Orton an extremely good qb at Purdue, playing from the Shotgun (his comfort level) and making good reads and quick decisions in Joe Tiller's offense. He then came to the Bears and was thrown into the fire as a rookie who had a lot to learn (from the playbook to protections to practice habits). The offensive coaches in 2005 would not adjust positively for Orton by allowing him to be in a Shotgun formation in 3rd and long situations (which is ridiculous) and I remember watching Musin Muhammed (or Mee-sin as I like to call the selfish player) pouting, finger pointing and doing everything in his power to undercut Orton. The media did not want to call out the veteran Muhammed because he was a regular with Peanut Tillman on 670 the score every Tuesday night but the truth is Muhammed made Orton's job (which was already difficult with a small unimaginative, play package for a qb that was not ready.) I remember seeing Grossman on the sideline laughing it up with "Moose" in 2005 and got the impression that they were both "me" guys...so please don't write about what a great guy Rex is because he did Kyle no favors in 2005. I did feel a little bad for Rex last night when turned from boot action saw a defender in his face and did the right thing and throw the ball away and still got booed but by no means do I want him as our starting qb. Too many people have gone on record from former players, coaches and anaylysts to Rex's lack of film study and grasp of protections. Remember last year when he was benched for Griese and was not a part of Qb conversations during the game with Pep Hamilton and Griese. I remeber he was pouting on the near the bench while Orton was at least in those conversations and listening. I applaud the Bears for finally going in a different direction. They are getting rid of the clubhouse cancers and locker room lawyers.They are finally playing people have earned thier time through competition instead of trying to prove their draft picks correct. They should start Rasheed Davis he has earned it by running disciplined routes, having good hands and being tough. I believe Kyle will be a fine starting QB as long as he keeps studying film, throws the ball away when need be, and is allowed to be in the Shotgun in passing situations (which has happened the last 2 years). It's time to trade Rex where he could definitely benefit from a change of scenery and may regain his confidence, but to all you Rex fans my advice is "be a Bears fan first and give Kyle a chance" ...he will get the job done.

Typical. Why after one game is everything set in stone with some of you? So Davis had two TDs in a game. Everyone else need to scratch their name off the pro bowl ballot and just leave his up there for the receivers. Matter of fact maybe he should be the only WR that plays in the pro bowl since no one else will be able to hold his jock. Weren't some of you the great predicter that mentioned that Lloyd would be a jerk and kicked off the team before the preseason was over? What about the great faith you had in Bazuin? Really I can't say for certain who was so ramped up about anyone so I can't even mention any names. I don't dwell on what certain people said in the past? Nor will I brag about being some kind of player-knowledge guru. Who does that? I know that some of you guys try to imitate the Bears in your regular lives, but no one cares that you get off the small yellow bus, somewhat, running. But I could have sworn that Mike (usually small "M") was predicting a lot of stuff that hasn't happened. For two weeks special teams was in the toilet but now after one game they have the only coach on the team. Orton didn't look good on his own so why didn't Turner get any props for playing to his strengths? And to call a FG in preseason crucial just goes to show that you are an alarmist. When has Robbie ever kicked great past 45 yards? Why not give him a little game opportunity to see if he has changed? Why not use preseason to see what we can work on before the season? Now that offense looked better I'm glad you are super convinced that they are going to be great. Just don't change your tune too fast when they stink any time soon. And why pick on mainly Briggs when EVERY core member of the D has looked like they are in St Elsewhere? Stop hating on just him. Calm down and drink all your Tang and don't get any on your rear flapped-long johns.

Not to defend Grossman after that performance, but I often wonder how long Il native Tony Romo would have been treated in Chicago (After the "ProBowl Quarterback" completely pissed the Cowboys past two seasons down his leg). You guys need to get off Grossman's back, if the guy had some confidence he might be able to improve. He has talent, just a terrible work ethic (film studying, over prep for games & seasons, etc). I think he could be a back up and provide a spark if needed and possibly even a consistent starter if he could develop work ethic. As for now, glad to see Orton's work paying off. Hopefully he stay composed when other defenses bring the kitchen sink.

Sound and Fury, signifying nothing.Shakespeare said : "Life is a tale, told by an idiot; full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Were he still around, he would probably be in charge of a Chicago football blog to daily validate his point. Benjy in Faulkner's novel__The Sound and the Fury__ made more sense than most of today's blogs.

Paul, you do realize Shakespeare was talking about himself, right??
Someone else said it better, "one mans trash is another mans treasure," what doesn't make sense to you, makes all the sense in the world to someone else. BEAR DOWN!!!!